Singer and songwriter Moshe Korseia said on social media that finding an apartment in Tel Aviv has become difficult because he is religious and keeps Shabbat. In a video he posted, he said he must leave his current apartment in about two weeks and has been looking for a new place in the city, where his professional work is concentrated.
Korseia said the problem came up during a viewing at one apartment when he asked whether the building had a Shabbat elevator and later learned that access to the building was through an electric door. He said he then asked whether there was any way to enter without violating Shabbat.
According to Korseia, those questions triggered a reaction from the building management and the landlord. “Suddenly the landlord starts getting angry at me for not telling him in advance that I am religious,” he said. “He said he knew I was religious, but not what kind of religious person I am and what I keep.”
He said the experience left him apologizing for his observance. “I found myself apologizing for keeping Shabbat,” he said, adding that he does not want to cause trouble for anyone and only wants a basic way to live somewhere without desecrating Shabbat. Korseia said the episode made him feel like an outsider and made him consider moving to Jerusalem instead of Tel Aviv, even if that means putting his feelings ahead of his career.
